Author: KESQ

Gavin Nguyen

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – Many folks across the Coachella Valley woke up to thunderclaps this morning! The thunderstorm potential we’ve been tracking for the past week has materialized and the valley has seen some rain and lightning on Saturday. Here’s a look at what our radar picked up at 10:30 a.m.

Lots of cloud cover earlier in the day and very high dew point temperatures helped keep our high temperatures suppressed for most of the day. Temperatures in Palm Springs have stayed under 100° so far. Chances for additional t-storms are decreasing and the clouds are starting to dissipate somewhat; most of the rain is to our west (through the San Gorgonio Pass) as of 3:30 p.m.

Thunderstorm chances persist as monsoonal moisture lingers through early next week. For Sunday, we’re still seeing thunderstorm potential on our FutureTrack models. The AM hours look quiet, but more clouds + rain pops up starting at noon. That potential lingers into the afternoon before decreasing again overnight. We’re definitely not ruling out more activity tomorrow, so do yourself a favor: keep an umbrella handy, just in case you get stuck in some pop-up precipitation!

12PM Sunday

3PM Sunday

Here’s a look at rainfall totals from the National Weather Service’s Weather & Hazards Data Viewer. Most valley cities saw under one-tenth of an inch of rainfall. Some spots in the east valley saw totals closer to one-third of an inch, while Mountain Center collected over four-tenths of an inch.

Highs tomorrow (like today) are heavily dependent on the rain and moisture we see. Right now, we’re expecting the heat to persist with temperatures above 110°, but if more rain prevents us from warming up to our full potential, that number could be closer to 100°.

Humidity sticks around through Wednesday, so we’re still keeping tabs on thunderstorm potential until then. Right now, the greatest chances for more activity are on Tuesday. As we make our way through the work week, temperatures cool off significantly. We’re expecting highs below 110° – below our seasonal average of 107°, for that matter – as we progress towards next weekend.

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Athena Jreij

MORENO VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) – The search for missing 7-month-old Emmanuel Haro resumed Sunday afternoon in Moreno Valley near State Route 60.

According to San Bernardino County Sheriff’s, the search unfolded near the westbound shoulder of the 60 freeway near Gilman Springs Road. Jake Haro, Emmanuel’s father who was booked on murder charges Friday, was also at the search assisting detectives.

Cadaver dogs were on scene to assist investigators. However, officials tell News Channel 3 the missing baby was not located during the search.

Jake and Rebecca Haro were arrested Friday on suspicion of murder of their 7-month-old baby. News Channel 3 has gained access to their booking photos from San Bernardino County Sheriff’s.

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Katie Boer

Storms rolled through the mountains and deserts, including the Coachella Valley–Monday afternoon. These storms triggered a Severe Thunderstorm Warning and even Flash Flood Warnings throughout the region, finally expiring around 7:45pm.

Several locations reported over 1″ of rainfall. At Palm Springs International we broke the daily precip record, totaling 0.44″ of rain. We saw localized downpours around the valley–enough so to trigger a weather closure at the Tramway.

We had hurricane force winds west of the valley in Perris, where one gust was reported at 76mph. PSP with gusts as high as 54mph. Though no airport closures were reported.

We’re quieter and calmer overnight with many of the road closures we saw Monday reopened.

Courtesy: Chris Tarpening

Our First Alert Weather Alert does remain in effect through Tuesday for possible storms and flooding risk.Tuesday storm chances shift north, bringing the greatest threat for thunderstorms and heavy rain in the San Bernardino Mountains and the High Desert, though the Coachella Valley may also see a little afternoon/evening activity. If those storms pop up again we could see isolated downpours, flash flooding, hail, and dangerous outflow winds.

By midweek, storm chances decrease quite a bit and we begin to shift to a more stable, seasonable pattern with a slight warming returning by the weekend.

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Athena Jreij

BEAUMONT, Calif. (KESQ) — A Beaumont resident is demanding action after she says an animal control officer used ‘excessive force’ on a dog.

Friday afternoon, Nikkie Thompson called animal control on a stray dog that had wandered onto the Oasis Thrift Store’s property in Beaumont. Thompson says she gave the dog food and water while waiting for an official to take it to the shelter.

However, when help arrived, she claims a Beaumont animal control officer threw the dog into the truck’s kennel.

“He put the lead on the dog and he like, yanked it, and the dog jumped back and hit the trashcan. That’s when I went inside crying to my boss. I just didn’t think that dog deserved the way he was treated and thrown in the vehicle because the dog wasn’t aggressive. He didn’t bark at them. He didn’t do anything,” Thompson said.

Thompson says the officer told her the shelters were full and they had no room for more animals.

She believes the animal was about a year old.

The video was quickly posted to social media, gaining traction from animal activists who believe the officer should have disciplinary action taken against him.

Responding to the backlash, Beaumont Police posted this update Sunday afternoon:

“We are aware of public concern regarding the recent removal of an animal by one of our Animal Control Officers. We understand that videos and images shared online may have raised questions about the manner in which the situation was handled.

In response to reports of an aggressive dog, our Animal Control team responded to ensure the safety of both the animal and the public. The dog was safely removed without injury and is currently being housed at our facility. In accordance with standard procedures, the animal will be held for a minimum of 72 hours before any placement efforts begin. There has already been significant interest from a well-regarded local animal placement group in the Pass area, and it’s very likely that the dog will be adopted through them once the holding period ends.

We want to assure the public that our officers are trained professionals who often must make quick decisions in potentially dangerous situations. Their primary responsibility is to protect both the community and the animals involved. That said, we take all community concerns seriously. We are currently reviewing the incident to ensure that our professional standards were followed and to determine if any additional training or procedural adjustments are necessary.

We ask for your patience and understanding as we conduct this review.”

Stick with us as we continue to follow this story.

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City News Service

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – A road project in Palm Springs that began today will prompt street closures until next month.   

Construction work hours will be daily from 6 a.m. until 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. until 6 a.m., through Sept. 5.  

The Pavement Rehabilitation project involves removing existing asphaltic concrete, placing new concrete, adjusting existing utilities and installing new striping and markings for roadway improvements, according to the city.

The work will take place on Ramon Road between South Belardo Road and South Calle Encilia.   

According to city officials, commuters can expect the following traffic changes:   — single-lane closures will take place Monday “for the lowering of utilities,” officials said;   — on Tuesday, motorist can expect a full closure on Ramon Road from the west side of Belardo Road and west of Palm Canyon Drive to remove and replace asphalt concrete;   — on Wednesday, a full closure on Ramon Road from the east side of Palm Canyon Drive and west of Indian Canyon Drive;   — single-lane closures will take place Thursday for “raising of utilities”;   — intermittent lane closures will be held Friday until Sept. 5 for roadway striping and marking operations.  

For more information, contact the city’s project hotline at 760-846-5477.

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Tori King

COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ)– The state of California is a motorcycle rider’s paradise. With ideal weather conditions, long stretches of freeway, and rider-friendly laws, it’s no surprise the state has more registered riders than any other in the U.S., according to the CHP. However, higher ridership numbers also mean a higher probability for crashes.

In fact, recent reports conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show California accounts for the most fatal wrecks in the country, with one out of every ten deadly motorcycle accidents happening in the Golden State. Although fatal accidents are down from last year, the NHTSA report showed a rise in motorcycle crashes overall. In 2024, over 11,900 motorcycle riders were involved in a wreck, almost 200 more than in 2023. In terms of deadly wrecks, CHP recorded 375 fatal wrecks involving a motorcycle.

Certain areas also see more accidents than others, including Los Angeles County and San Diego County, which round out the top two counties with the most accidents around the state. In 2024, Riverside County made it into the top five most dangerous, with 895 accidents involving a motorcycle.

Officers like David Torres, the Public Information Officer with the CHP Indio office say he’s seen his fair share for deadly accidents, but often times, motorcycle collisions are the most difficult calls to show up to. “We notice the person on the motorcycle is always the most injured,” said Torres. “A lot of it’s because of lack of protection. When we respond to those crashes, we’re immediately thinking, what kind of medical aid can we provide to these people as soon as we arrive to the scenes?” According to law enforcement, a majority of crashes can be attributed to two things: a lack of training, and a rise in people riding illegally with only a permit.”People get a motorcycle thinking that they don’t need the proper training and the proper license, and that inexperience causes you to be overconfident, and then you end up going way too fast or not being able to maneuver your motorcycle in the way you’re supposed to and crash,: explained Torres. “We do make a lot of stops on motorcyclists who have their motorcycle permit, but they’re driving outside the limitations that the DMV gives them. And a lot of crashes I’ve been to, I’m going to speak specifically on the few that have been here where they were fatal, the riders weren’t wearing the proper equipment, and they didn’t have their motorcycle license.” And motorcycle training professionals like Allison Woods agree. Woods is one of the onwers and operators of SoCal Motorcycle Training. She believes that improper training on high-powered bikes like 600cc’s or liter bikes, and easy access to those bikes is a growing problem.

“Youngsters, they have the opportunity if they have a license to buy any kind of bike that they want,” said Woods. “There’s nothing that would stop them from getting a very, very high powered bike. And so you know that in itself, along with a hot shoe on a fast bike gets in trouble quickly.”That’s why Woods operates a CHP approved motorcycle riding school in the Coachella Valley to teach riders of any age the basics of riding. The course takes place over several days, with dozens of hours spent in both the classroom, and on a bike in a closed of parking lot environment. Wood’s course practices the riding portion in the parking lot of Acrisure Arena.

“We work under the California Motorcyclist Safety Program, the CMSP,” said Woods. “And these are statewide schools offering the same curriculum at each one of the schools, and it’s a learn to ride class, with 15 to 16 hours of instruction. Successful completion does get you your waiver for the DMV riding test, but even above that, it’s there to teach and reinforce the skills needed for safe beginning writing on the street.”

Another riding school, Champions Riding School, hosts training sessions all over the country, including a stop at the Chuckwalla Raceway, stopping in dozens of cities, military bases, and law enforcement agencies to provide riders with a range of advanced riding lessons, to make them better on the track, and the roadways. Keith Culver, the COO, and CFO of Champions Riding School says he was actually approached by the Marine Corps to create a course that would help prevent fatal accidents more than a decade ago.”The Marine Corps called us and said, ‘Hey, we had more Marines die on motorcycles than they did in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq during that particular year combined, can you help us?” We said, “Absolutely.”‘

According to Culver, most fatal motorcycle accidents happen at intersections, so instructors at the riding school worked on creating a course to give riders the skills that could mean the difference between life and death. “One of the biggest mistakes all riders make is that they are under trained, and they they run wide,” said Culver. “They go across the single line into the guardrail, off the cliff, whatever. Worst case, they run wide and go across the double yellow line into ongoing traffic. So in terms of single vehicle, motorcycle fatalities, that is the number one issue. Statistically for multi vehicle, meaning they hit another car or another object, is at intersections. It’s failure to be able to slow down in time at an intersection. So we spend a lot of time on those things during our course.”

And last but not least, aside from training, safety experts say preventing deadly accidents begins before you even put the key in the ignition, they’ve proven, it truly starts with proper safety gear. Stevan Popovich is not just a life-long rider, he now the President and Chief Retail Officer, for Cycle Gear, one of the largest and fastest-growing companies in the U.S. that sells motorcycle safety gear. “We like to say, prepare for the The technology has advanced so much over the past decade, from helmets to textiles that really can afford the rider level of safety that’s unparalleled to what they’ve experienced in the past.” That’s why companies like Cycle Gear have been working to make protective gear more comfortable, more affordable, and more advanced with time, including technology like a wearable airbag, which deploys in under a second if a rider is involved in a crash.”The technology has advanced to a point where you can be incredibly comfortable and still look good,” said Popovich. “And in addition with airbag technology, you know, it’s a vest, so it’s something that you can wear under that you don’t even feel it. I wear one every day I ride. It’s techology that can literally ave lives.”By implementing all of these factors before a ride, according to experts, the risk of a deadly motorcycle accident goes down exponentially, however, its a team effort that requires time and attention.”Driving safely on the freeway and highways and intersections, it’s the responsibility of both both the motorcyclist and the drivers,” said Torres. “Be courteous and to watch out for each other, always.”

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Angela Chen

It is the dawn of artificial intelligence. And already — kids are using it in their daily lives. 

But educational policies and standards at large have not caught up to the dramatic rise of AI and how students are using it, whether for good or bad.

“In my math classes, people cheat with AI, and it’s really invasive in classroom,” said Olivia Aparicio, a senior at Rancho Mirage High School and the president of the Associated Student Body. 

She says the use of AI has become ubiquitous, a tool some students frequently abuse. 

“Students are so deep into AI use that they understand how to use it now and how to use it to their advantage,” said Aparicio. “They can get away with almost anything.” 

ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude, Synthesia, Snapchat AI and so many more AI platforms offer a horizon of seemingly infinite possibilities.

We are in the Wild West when it comes to AI, with educators still trying to figure out the best way to incorporate  — and police it — in the classroom. 

Instructors are seeing heavier workloads and spending substantially more time now monitoring for cheating, according to a recent report, “Time for Class: Bridging Student and Faculty Perspectives on Digital Learning 202,” by education consulting firm Tyton Partners. 

AI has the capability to solve math problems while showing the work or construct entire essays while personalizing it to grade level ability. It can even incorporate grammar mistakes to mimic human error. 

Teachers say students started doing this years ago when ChatGPT debuted in 2022. 

Increased reliance on AI has been linked to an erosion in critical thinking skills, according to a study by Michael Gerlich at the Center for Strategic Corporate Foresight and Sustainability at SBS Swiss Business School. 

It’s something educators are trying to balance as they navigate the AI frontier.

At James Workman Middle school in Cathedral City, generative AI is already part of the curriculum. 

“We really have to teach kids the possibilities inherent in AI as a thought partner, rather than as something to offload the work to,”said Jessica Pack, a 6th grade teacher at James Workman. “And I think that students themselves have a desire and motivation to be good at something.”

In Jessica Pack’s 6th grade classroom, AI is used to motivate. On the day News Channel 3 came to interview Pack, kids were visualizing their future — literally, through the use of generative AI. Students wrote out what they wanted to be 15 years from now and then, used generative AI to create a photo of that future. Pack is one of the nation’s leading experts on AI in the K-12 classroom and a 2014 California Teacher of the Year. She says teachers have to adapt — or get left behind. 

“AI is here to stay, so I think it’s our responsibility as professionals to understand AI: how it works, tools that are most appropriate for the K-12 setting, and what the best practices and ethics are,” said Pack.

It seems it’s certainly here to stay. For students, AI is already ingrained in their lifestyles, as they use it to organize school work, navigate friend drama or to simply figure out what to eat.

“Some of my friends use AI to vent or personal problems,” said Aparicio. “I use it for recipes. Actually, I was home alone one day, and I didn’t know what to make for dinner, so I asked ChatCPT, “Hey, what can I make with these five ingredients? And it gives you a full on recipe.” 

“I definitely think that it is a good resource for learning. I think that they should use it for organization, skills programs, if they need any other small adjustments to their own work, but not to fully do their own,” said Sarabjeet Singh, a student at Desert Hot Springs High School.

It’s top of mind for our school districts.For the start of the 2025 school year, DSUSD already has an AI policy in place. PSUSD also has a written policy, slated for board approval on Tuesday, 08/26/2025. CVUSD plans to take an AI policy to its board for approval on 9/11/2025.

These policies emphasize using AI as a teammate, rather than a replacement for critical thinking. DSUSD’s policy also discourages against using AI writing detector sites, considering them unreliable and biased against English language learners. But the CEO of Copyleaks, an AI detection company, says AI can often do what humans can’t. 

“We’re an AI company ourselves, and what our AI models are able to do is really to identify all these different factors that AI is is using or writing in a different way, and really identify and distinguish them between how humans are writing,” said Alon yamin, the CEO and co-founder of Copyleaks. “So we can think about average length of a sentence. We can think about how often you use punctuation. We can think about different phrases that you’re using, and we found that  is using specific phrases in completely different frequency, like versus an average person. So AI just writes in a different way, but it’s something that is visible to other AI models, and less so to humans. You could say that it’s AI fighting AI.”

So what is the best way to approach AI? Is AI better at recognizing its own handiwork — or can we only count on humans to do the job?

This is the start of a new technological era, and while we figure out how to fit AI into our lives, AI is advancing every day at a rapid pace — one that education at large in the U.S. has yet to catch up to. 

“We’re in a marathon of the advent of AI,” said Pack. “And if it’s 26 miles long, we’re really still in mile one.”

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Shay Lawson

CABAZON, Calif. (KESQ)  – The search for 7-month-old Emmanuel Haro has taken over social media.

Online investigators like Noe Ariza and Jimmy Williams are sifting through online posts, comments and even live streaming outside the Haro home.

“I do a true crime channel on YouTube called Dolly Vision. We got about 75,000 subscribers,” Williams said.

He said with the help of his followers, he flew out from the East Coast to cover the case.

“They donate to the channel,” Williams said. “They flew me out here so I could be here. Boots on the ground.”

Ariza was also outside the Haro home on Wednesday reporting from his channel called BYM News.

“This is my second day here,” Ariza said. “I actually was able to get him [Jake Haro] to come out. I was requesting an interview. He wouldn’t give me the interview.”

Investigators are in charge of the case, but these digital watchdogs are making sure Emmanuel’s story doesn’t fade.

Stay with News Channel 3 to hear from law enforcement about if these internet sleuths efforts are actually helping investigators.

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City News Service

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – A young man accused of gunning down a 19-year-old man during a dispute in Moreno Valley was charged today with murder and other offenses.  

Jacob Nulen Necochea, also 19, of Banning, allegedly killed Angelo Leivas of Banning Friday.

In addition to murder, Necochea was charged with sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.   

The defendant, who is being held without bail at the Smith Correctional Facility, was slated to make his initial court appearance Wednesday afternoon at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, just after 4 a.m. Friday, Necochea and Leivas were involved in an unspecified confrontation as Necochea sat in his vehicle in the 13000 block of Day Street, near Eucalyptus Avenue, less than a mile east of Interstate 215.

During hostilities, the defendant allegedly pulled a handgun and shot the victim several times, sheriff’s Sgt. Alberto Loureiro said.   

He alleged Necochea “fled the location prior to deputies’ arrival.”   

Paramedics reached the scene minutes later and discovered Leivas gravely wounded. The young man died that morning at nearby Riverside University Medical Center.

“Deputies obtained a description of the suspect vehicle and, about an hour later, found it in Moreno Valley,” Loureiro said. “Deputies detained the driver (Necochea), who was the sole occupant.”

The defendant was questioned all day by Central Homicide Unit detectives, who formally arrested him at 5:30 p.m. Friday for the alleged attack.

A possible motive has not been disclosed, and there were no details regarding how the defendant and victim knew one another.

Necochea has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.

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